---
title: "Documentation"
description: "ƿit language documentation"
type: "docs"
---

![image](/images/wizard.png)

ƿit is an actor-based scripting language for building concurrent applications. It combines a familiar C-like syntax with the actor model of computation, optimized for low memory usage and simplicity.

## Key Features

- **Actor Model** — isolated memory, message passing, no shared state
- **Immutability** — `stone()` makes values permanently frozen
- **Prototype Inheritance** — objects without classes
- **C Integration** — seamlessly extend with native code
- **Cross-Platform** — deploy to desktop, web, and embedded

## Quick Start

```javascript
// hello.ce - A simple actor
print("Hello, ƿit!")
$stop()
```

```bash
pit hello
```

## Language

- [**ƿit Language**](/docs/language/) — syntax, types, and operators
- [**Actors and Modules**](/docs/actors/) — the execution model
- [**Requestors**](/docs/requestors/) — asynchronous composition
- [**Packages**](/docs/packages/) — code organization and sharing
- [**Shop Architecture**](/docs/shop/) — module resolution, compilation, and caching

## Reference

- [**Built-in Functions**](/docs/functions/) — intrinsics reference
- [text](/docs/library/text/) — text conversion and manipulation
- [number](/docs/library/number/) — numeric conversion and operations
- [array](/docs/library/array/) — array creation and manipulation
- [object](/docs/library/object/) — object creation, prototypes, and serialization

## Standard Library

Modules loaded with `use()`:

- [blob](/docs/library/blob/) — binary data
- [time](/docs/library/time/) — time and dates
- [math](/docs/library/math/) — trigonometry and math
- [json](/docs/library/json/) — JSON encoding/decoding
- [random](/docs/library/random/) — random numbers

## Tools

- [**Command Line**](/docs/cli/) — the `pit` tool
- [**Semantic Index**](/docs/semantic-index/) — index and query symbols, references, and call sites
- [**Testing**](/docs/testing/) — writing and running tests
- [**Compiler Inspection**](/docs/compiler-tools/) — dump AST, mcode, and optimizer reports
- [**Writing C Modules**](/docs/c-modules/) — native extensions

## Architecture

ƿit programs are organized into **packages**. Each package contains:

- **Modules** (`.cm`) — return a value, cached and frozen
- **Actors** (`.ce`) — run independently, communicate via messages
- **C files** (`.c`) — compiled to native libraries

Actors never share memory. They communicate by sending messages, which are automatically serialized. This makes concurrent programming safe and predictable.

## Installation

```bash
# Clone and bootstrap
git clone https://gitea.pockle.world/john/cell
cd cell
make bootstrap
```

The ƿit shop is stored at `~/.cell/`.

## Development

After making changes, recompile with:

```bash
make
```

Run `cell --help` to see all available CLI flags.
